Back pack



May 22, 1962 R. H. ULLRiCH, JR

BACK PACK Filed Aug. 20. 1959 United States Patent Ofifice 3,035,747Patented May 22, 1962 3,035,747 BACK PACK Robert H. Ullrich, Jr.,Melrose, Mass., assignor of onehalf to John G. McElwee, Winchester,Mass. Filed Aug. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 835,086 6 Claims. (Cl. 224-) Thepresent invention relates to an improved back pack and more particularlyto a back pack adapted for skin divers.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a novel andimproved back pack which is well adapted to support all of the equipmentwhich the wearer, for example, a skin diver will need, as an efficientwell balanced load and which is fitted to the body of the wearer in sucha manner as to prevent any possibility of shifting or displacement ofsaid load.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a back pack which isof simple construction, and which is particularly arranged to permit theback pack to be instantly secured in place and similarly to be freed andslipped off as a safety precaution in case of emergency as, for example,to avoid being trapped under water.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a back packwhich is held in place by a simple arrangement of tension bracesextending over the shoulders and around the waist of the wearer, andwhich is fitted to the anatomical contours of the body in such a manneras to secure the back pack in position equally against downward andupward pulls, or against such pulls in any direction which may beencountered as, for example, by a skin diver who may move downwardly orupwardly or in a lateral direction through the water.

Other objects of the invention include the improved construction of theback pack to eliminate so far as possible all interference with themovements of the wearer, and to provide for complete mobility andelliciency of the wearer, for example, a skin diver when in the water.

With these and other objects in view, a feature of the inventionconsists in the provision of a back pack including a back plate shapedto the contour of the human back within the area extending verticallyalong the spinal column from a point just below the nape of the neck tothe region of the lumbar vertebrae.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of animproved device for securing the back plate in position including twotension braces which hook over the shoulders and extend downwardly overthe upper chest area to a point below the pectoral muscle, and inaddition thereto two tension braces which extend from the lower sides ofthe plate, and which clasp around the waist of the wearer. The shoulderand waist tension braces are shaped to basic anatomical contours.

The shoulder tension braces serve primarily as weightbearing memberswhen the wear is in a vertical or almost vertical position and alsoserve to keep the upper section of the basic frame or back board incomfortable and continuous contact with the back of the wearer. Thewaist tension brace serves to force the lower section of the contouredback board to adhere to the lower spinal column area regardless of bodyposition or spinal column arc. The combined effect of these tensionbraces is to insure maximum compressive action on the back to front axisand thus eliminate independent movement in an upward or downwarddirection, or. whiplash relative to the wearers body of any equipmentproperly attached to the back pack.

The several features of the invention consist also in the devices,combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed,which together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will bereadily understood by one skilled in the art from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of my back pack as worn by a skindiver, being shown fitted with a single tank and its regulator fixed toa suitable centrally located bracket, and a number of weights attachedto the lower mid-section encircling tension brackets;

FIG. 2 is a detail view in front elevation of the back board includingthe shoulder and waist tension brackets;

FIG. 3 is a detail view in rear elevation of the back board shown inFIG. 2 and illustrating particularly the cent-rally located tankbracket, and two inflatable floatation units mounted on the respectiveshoulder portions of said back board;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the back board shown in FIG. 2 lookingfrom the front;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the back board as shown particularly inFIG. 3 looking from the rear;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a tank attached to the supporting bracketof the back plate, and

FIG. 7 is a view of the lower portion of the back plate showing amodified form of the invention in which a strap with a quick releasebuckle is shown in place of the waist tension braces.

The back pack which forms the subject matter of the present inventioncomprises a back plate 10 which has a curved surface which is shaped tothe contour of the human back within an area extending vertically, thatis, lengthwise of the spinal column from a point just below the nape ofthe neck to the region of the lumbar vertebrae. As shown in front andrear elevation, the back plate is of relatively narrow width at thelower end and widens out at the upper end to provide support for twoshoulder tension braces 12 and 14. Each of these shoulder tension braceshooks over the shoulder and extends downwardly over the upper chest areato a point below the pectoral muscle. At the lower base end of the backplate 10 there are provided two laterally projecting wraparound springtension braces 16, 18 which are arranged to clasp tightly around thewaist of the wearer. Both shoulder and waist tension braces are shapedto basic anatomical contours of the body.

The shoulder tension braces 12, 14, above referred to, serve primarilyas weight bearing members when the wearer is in a vertical or almostvertical position and also serve to keep the upper section of the backplate 10 in comfortable and continuous contact with the back of thewearer. The waist tension braces 16, 18 serve to force the lower sectionof the back plate to adhere to the lower spinal column area regardlessof body position or of spinal column arc. The combined efiect of thesetension braces is to insure maximum compressive action on the back tofront axis and thus to eliminate independent movement of the back packincluding all of its component support and load elements in an upward ordownward direction, or of whiplash relative to the wearers body. It willbe noted particularly that the inwardly curved or shaped lower portionof the back board which fits snugly into the small of the back acts incombination with the shoulder and waist tension braces above describedto prevent any upward displacement of the back pack relative to the bodyin response to upward stresses upon the back pack which may result, forexarnple, from the energizing of the infration equipment attachedthereto.

FIG. 7 of the drawing discloses a modified form of my invention in whicha flexible strap 17 with a quick release buckle 19 is attached to thelower end of the back plate It) in place of the waist tension braces 36,13. It will be understood that the curvature of the back plate issufficient so that a tightening of the belt will cause the back plate tobe forced against the back along the full length of the spine and thusto maintain the back plate firmly in position against the back of thewearer.

The back plate above described is well adapted for the securing theretoof all of the necessary basic equipment which the skin diver may needexcept facial devices, thus entirely eliminating the multiple harnesses,buckles, belts and other fastening devices normally used to attach thetank assembb weight belt, floatation gear and other equipment to thewearers body. In the illustration the back plate is shown as providedwith a centrally located bracket 20 to which may be secured a tank 22with its regulator mechanism 24, the tank being held in place by meansof conventional straps 26 which pass through slots in the bracket 2 Itwill be understood that the tank bracket 29 may be constructed andarranged for the support of two identical tanks in parallel relationwhen so desired, being held against the concave side surfaces shown by asuitable arrangement of said straps 26. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5,two floatation devices 27, 28 are provided secured to the upper orshoulder portions of the back plate 16. These inflation mechanisms mayconsist of a valve and a self-contained pressure bottle or cartridge 30of generally cylindrical shape assembly with a detachable andreplaceable bladder or membrane which fills with gas or air from thepressure bottle when the pressure bottle or cartridge is activated.These floatation units are so placed on the back pack as to accomplishthe lifting of the wearer to the surface and to insure a floatationposition wherein the head is kept above the average level of thesurrounding water surface. The pressure bottle or cartridge and valveassembly is rendered operative by a pull cord 32 confined by a guide 34on the shoulder tension brace. The cylindrical base portion Stl of theinflation mechanism comprising the cartridge and valve assembly arepreferably screw threaded into a ring type holder 36 fast on therespective shoulder tension brace. The loose end of the bladderassociated with the cartridge and valve assembly 363 is attached to theshoulder tension brace at 38. Inasmuch as these units may be ofconventional design, no further description thereof is believednecessary.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the laterally extending waist tension brace-smay also serve as supports to which lead weights 29 (see FIG. 1) may besimply and conveniently attached and if necessary, released for theassistance of the skin diver during extended underwater swimming.

It will be understood that the back plate may be made as a one pieceunit from spring steel or may be, if it be preferred, constructed withindividually adjustable and detachable shoulder tension braces and waisttension braces which may be more accurately fitted to the individualwearer.

In a preferred form of the invention, the back plate may be constructedof narrowwidth' spring steel or firm spring steel wire which is coveredwith a suitable plastic or rubber coating to provide and to permit theanatomical shaping of the various areas or sections of the back pack.The rubber or plastic employed provides an exterior surface which iscomfortable for the wearer.

The unit may be manufactured alternatively from a suitable plasticwithout the use of any spring steel or simiback pack to the bodycontours.

lar reinforcing mat rial, said plastic being molded or otherwise workedto produce the proper anatomical contour shape. It will be understoodthat the plastic chosen must have a suilicient spring tensioncharacteristic to permit expansion of the waist tension brace for thewearer to put the back pack on and off, and at the same time to insure asufiiciently firm clasp of the waist to make the back frame adhere tothe lower back region. Such a material, of which spring steel and asuitable plastic have been given as examples, may be described asself-supporting, and at the same time resilient in the sense that itwill conform comfortably to the body contours of the wearer.

The use of a plastic or rubber contact surface for the back plateincluding the shoulder and waist tension braces has the advantage thatmoisture on the areas touching the wearers body or suit tends to inducelubrication between these surfaces and thus eliminate abrasion. The useof a plastic in me back pack construction has the further advantage thatbody heat tends to induce a partial softening of the surface materialthus increasing adherence of the The plastic is thereafter held rigidlyin the desired molded position by the firming effect of the relativelycooler water in the course of underwater swimming.

The invention having been described what is claimed is:

l. A back pack which comprises, in combination, a back engaging memberof a self-supporting resilient material having a curved surface shapedto the contour of the human back within the area extending lengthwise ofthe spine from below the nape of the neck to the region of the lumbarvertebra including a portion bowed against the small of the back, twotension braces of a self-supporting resilient material attached to andforming an integral unit with said back engaging member which book overthe shoulders and extend downwardly a sufficient distance to pressagainst the front chest area to tension the back engaging member againstthe body, said tension braces forming a continuation of the curvedsurface of the back member, and a releasable wrap-around tension devicesecured to a lower portion of the back engaging member arranged to clasparound the waist of the wearer, the fore and back pressure provided bysaid tension braces and tension device acting to tension the backengaging member including said bowed portion against the back thereby tosecure said back engaging member against displacement toward the head ofthe wearer.

2. A back pack according to claim 1 in which the tension braces extenddownwardly over and engage the upper chest area to a point below thepectoral muscle.

3. A back pack according to claim 1 in which the wrap around tensiondevice takes the form of two wrap around spring tension braces whichextend in opposite directions from the lower end portion of the backengaging member and clasp around the waist of the wearer.

4. A back pack according to claim 1 in which the wrap around tensiondevice takes the form of a releasable strap and buckle attached to thelower end of the back engaging member to clasp around the waist of thewearer and thereby to tension the back engaging member including thebowed portion against the small of the back to support the back engagingmember vertically in position against the back of the wearer.

' 5. A back pack adapted to be worn by skin divers according to claim 1in which the back plate and tension braces are faced with a materialadapted to be lubricated by water contact and thereby to avoid abrasivecontact with the wearer.

6. A back pack adapted to be worn by skin divers which comprises, incombination, a back plate of a selfsupporting resilient material shapedto the contour of the human back along the spine within the areaextending vertically along the spinal column from a point just below thenape of the neck to the region of the lumbar vertebrae, two tensionbraces of a like material mounted integrally with said back plate whichhook over the shoulders and engage the front chest area to tension theupper portion of the back plate against the body, two wraparound springtension braces which extend in opposite directions from the lower endportion of the plate and clasp around the waist of the wearer andthereby tension the back plate against the 'back, and a tank bracketmounted on the back plate located centrally and extending longitudinallyof said back plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS DawsonJan. 9, 1900 Gra Mar. 8, 1904 Moore K Mar. 22, 1932 Massack Oct. 24,1933 Hale Apr. 1, 1958 Kissenberger Dec. 16, 1958

